What: redevelopment of the Provo Town Center Mall site (about 23 acres on the north part, including a mobile home park): a general plan amendment from commercial to transit-oriented development, changes to the interim transit-oriented development zone text, a zone map amendment, and a concept plan attached to a development agreement.
Where it stands: discussed at the October 20 Work Meeting; no vote taken. Members signaled the Council would vote on the applicant's version, guided by the concept plan.
Next: votes at a later Council meeting; the Council also asked about the leasing threshold before the final housing phase.
Details
Built from the YouTube auto-generated captions of the 2026-10-20 - Municipal Council Work Meeting; other meetings and minutes were not read, so earlier history is not recorded.
After a public hearing, the Council approved three items, each 5-1 with one member opposed and one excused: the concept plan with authority for the mayor to finalize the development agreement, the interim transit-oriented zone text changes in the applicant's original version, and the zone map change. The general plan map change vote is not clearly captured in the captions.
Concept plan: five apartment buildings with 1,300 apartments and 77 for-sale townhomes (down from 83, with more three-bedroom units), a smaller roundabout, raised crossings, new green space, and bicycle and pedestrian links to transit; commercial space would drop from nearly one million to about 635,000 square feet. The development agreement paragraph on for-sale units was to be changed from 75 to 77.
Mobile home park: the applicant offered 18 months notice (double the state requirement) and $10,000 per household relocation help. Speakers and members said it may not cover a move; others noted the typical cost of moving a double-wide. Affordable housing under the state housing zone program would be 12 percent (3 percent at 60 percent of area median income, 9 percent at 80 percent). Protected bike lanes and fine design details are left to site plan review.
Staff said the Planning Commission voted 8-0 to recommend denial of the zone text changes and left out attached single-family homes, recommended the general plan change and zone change, and denied the concept plan because it included townhomes. The Council draft carried most Commission positions but kept the townhomes.
Members were confused about whether the draft matched what the applicant needs; the applicant said losing the transitional height change could cost 300 to 500 units. Several members wanted to protect existing neighbors on height and setbacks; staff said only about four existing homes are affected.
Affordable housing: roughly 9 to 12 percent of units under the state housing zone program (about 156 of 1,300 apartments); the applicant wants market-rate townhomes to count toward it. A public infrastructure district would issue bonds repaid from tax increment, with no added tax on homeowners; that approval is separate and later.
Phasing in the development agreement: first 350 units after commercial permits, second 350 after commercial shells are built, final phase after 60 percent of shell space is leased. A proposal to raise the threshold to 75 percent got no second. Parking: 1,687 spaces versus about 1,700 required, with a 25 percent reduction allowed by right.
Staff said the interim zone is going away in the zoning rewrite, so the changes would not carry over. Direction: work from the concept plan and the applicant's proposal.